This country has a lot going for it. God has blessed the citizens of the U.S. So much so that people are begging to be allowed to migrate to America. Now, let’s take a closer look at what we have been witnessing right in front of our own eyes.

We now have an NFL player using his freedoms he was given by not standing for the U.S. flag and this has caused a firestorm. Not only not standing but just simply dissing it. This too means that he will not participate in the singing of the National Anthem. He does this in defiance of what he is seeing take place.

The National Anthem has stood the test of time for over 200 years. It took this biracial player to bring attention to the National Anthem?

Penned by Francis Scott Key after the British blasted Baltimore’s Fort McHenry September 1814 for over 25 hours. Little did most know that it actually contains 4 verses and in the 3rd verse we read how Key celebrates the death of slaves. Black slaves were given free passage from the U.S. if they joined forces with the British fighters. Why would they not take advantage of this offer–to be free men and women?

Not many of us ever sang the second, third or fourth verse nor knew it even existed. We celebrated the song as our song of freedom and in the spirit of celebration. For this player to bring this song to light-rather,bring up these “other” verses is just one of many ways to help divide this country even further.

He says “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” he said of his protest. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

This statement comes from an athlete that signed a 6 year $114M/$19M annual contract, a $12M signing bonus and $61M is guaranteed. Does this sound oppressed to you? Granted he has worked hard with sweat and tears and pain.

His own biological father, a black man, did not want anything to do with this newborn child. This player was adopted and raised in a predominately white state of Wisconsin by white parents. They welcomed him with open arms and raised him as their own, no questions of his skin color. He, to them, was a human being that needed someone to provide that love and care.

The 2015 census shows that 77% of this country are white and 13% black. In the NFL there are 28% white players and 68% black. FBI crime statistics report that police shootings in 2015 were taken on 50% whites and only 26% blacks. Also, between 2012-2013 the perpetrators of violent crimes were 10% whites and 62% blacks.

While any death is sad, no matter their skin color, national origin, religious preference, let’s not forget that no man is perfect and this includes our law enforcement. They too have their bad days and good days. They make these mistakes and in some cases it is a glaring one.

The NFL has refused to take any sort of action. This is an organization that dictates what the player can and cannot wear yet they will not require these athletes to show a sign of respect. To elaborate on the NFL and their appeasement of this volatile situation they allowed a team to place decals on their helmets commemorating Michael Brown, a shooting victim in Missouri. They then turned down a request to place a decal honoring the 5 fallen Dallas Police Officers gunned down in the streets. They will allow players to stand at attention, backs arched and right arms extended straight and skyward with fists pumped in celebration of the Black Panther movement. Now, in fairness, I doubt that no one would be happy should a player come out of the locker room wearing the KKK symbol with white hoods. Where do we draw the line?

Some have argued that these athletes are afforded this right under the constitution. This to me is a cowardly act to stand behind. They have placed themselves on a grand stand and into the limelight in a totally different direction. As a spectator of many sporting events I enjoy the athlete performing and competing on their field of play. They should stay in their respective locker rooms and leave the politics out. They are indeed American citizens entitled to their opinions, yet they can also conduct this off the field/court of play.

We have been given lots of wonderful opportunities in this country of ours. There aren’t many of us Generation Xers that have been a part of any injustice to any one of opposite color. This is why we must stop looking at what our grandparents might or might not have been a part of and move forward.

I would encourage you to read a piece of Saul Alinsky’s book called Rules For Radicals and see how he wanted to stir up strife and division and discontentment as opposed to focusing on real issues facing this country. They have been working on this for decades and they just need one more feather in their cap and they just might have found that one item of controversy. We’ve got to start exercising common sense.

George Washington’s reply to the Brit’s bombing of Ft. McHenry: “The thing that sets the American Christian apart from all other people in the world is that he will die on his feet before he will live on his knees.” NFL players, get off your knees, stand up proudly and be a part of a blessed America–this is what makes us different from others in this world.